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how can I add already imported pictures to new album while importing new pictures

I exported all my picture from my Aperture-folders onto a harddisk. The result is that I have that same folder structure on my harddisk, but quite some pictures are exported to more than 1 folder. So the same pictures exists multiple times in different locations on my harddisk. That's ok so far.


Now I want to import those pictures into Photos, into new albums. Photos will give me an overview of the to be imported pictures, and give the choice 'Add all new pictures'. Photos will now import all pictures into it's big database and display the newly imported pictures as 'Recently added'. Now I select the new pictures and place them into my chosen photos album.


That's fine so far.


However: if Photos sees that I already have imported some pictures it will show them in the beginning of the import-preview. That's ok. I can now choose to either import only the new pictures or select all pictures, add the already existing pictures manually, and then import all pictures. The problem is that doing this I will create duplicates of already imported pictures.


That's not what I want.


What I do want is the following: Hey, Photos. See these pictures you are telling me you already imported them? Make a list of these somewhere where I can acces this list so that I can add those already imported pictures to the album of my choice. And after I have done that I will import all new pictures and place those in the same album.


What I do not want to do is checking the Photos database for those already imported pictures to add them manually to the new album. I am talking about a few thousand pictures I would have to do this for, that is not a task I am right now willing to perform!


Does anyone have an idea how I can avoid this?

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 28, 2021 2:04 PM

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Posted on Jan 28, 2021 3:08 PM

Correct - but that is normally done by a library migration, rather than exporting to a folder structure first.


If you still have your aperture library and aperture (If you are still on Mojave it should still run), you should be able to migrate it to photos.

See:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT209594

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6 replies

Jan 28, 2021 3:00 PM in response to TonyCollinet

Hello,


thank you for your answer. I think that indeed there is no other way for me to solve this problem.


However I do not think it is that unique. I am not the first person to switch from one program to another, either by need or force. By default the underlying database and inner workings are different. Just exporting and importing files is never a problem. The problem is that I invested time in the creation of a specific structure of my filing system. And the big advantage of these programs is that I have only one copy of a file, but multiple shortcuts to different folders so that I can file 1 picture in different folders.


When the need (or force) is there to switch to another program I can not imagine that I am the only one who wants to preserve the filing structure. So I would imagine that programs would support my question.


Kind regards

Jan 29, 2021 3:32 AM in response to Alex103

The most important thing to ensure, before you open your Aperture Library in Photos, will be to create high resolution previews in Aperture, at least for the photos, that have adjustment applied. Many Aperture users deleted the previews in Aperture or created only low resolution previews to save storage. It is essential to ruAperture and let it create High resolution previews, because Photos will be using the Aperture previews for the edited versions. If you do not create High Resolution previews in Aperture for the adjusted versions, you will lose the edits done in Aperture.


how can I add already imported pictures to new album while importing new pictures

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